The Kindness of Strangers -...
Lloyd Taylor
“What could one twitchy finger do to me?”
That was the question that brought Lloyd Taylor’s life crashing down when, at the age of fifty-three, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Terrified, Lloyd made a secret vow; do nothing, tell no one. That was until a chance meeting with a group of cyclists called the Rigid Riders, four “saddleback missionaries” on a slapdash cycling journey to Newfoundland, inspired him to fight back. In two weeks, riding through the rocky outcrops of the Atlantic, Lloyd’s tremors slowed and his heartbeat quickened. After a storm drove the bikers off the road, Lloyd and the team began planning a new ride, touching all three Canadian coasts in an epic journey against impossible odds, ringing the bell in communities across the country and starting a call to arms– for hands both shaky and still.
The Kindness of Strangers: Coast to Coast to Coast in 60 Days follows one man’s battle with Parkinson’s, and the unbelievable journey he took on his bike to fight it. From the rain-drenched coasts of the Maritimes to the frozen tundra of the Arctic, Lloyd recounts his adventure as part of the Spinning Wheels Relay to End Parkinson’s on their cross-Canada quest to inspire hope and raise awareness nationwide. Amid the wild cast of characters he finds tucked away in some of the most remote spots in the country, from Inuit grandmothers living on the edge of the North Pole to musical fishermen in Cape Breton, Lloyd and his shaky hand track a trail of friendship and discovery through one often-funny, always unpredictable summer. Through it all, Lloyd and his fellow riders battle with the very disease they’re hoping to cure, an illness that attacks their minds and bodies as they ride through mountains, storms and untamed wilderness. Supplies run low, bikes falter, chains and wheels snap and the enormity of the road threatens to swallow up everything the riders have accomplished. Yet through it all, hope shines through. Across breathtaking landscapes, they find camaraderie in every corner. Time and again, Lloyd and his team find themselves right where they need to be, where meeting just one person makes each day a success. Through punishing terrain and the constant battle with Parkinson’s, Lloyd and his team find humour in every hardship. Reverent, heartfelt, and poignant, The Kindness of Strangers is an unforgettable all-Canadian story of community and connection in a time where we need it most, proving just how much one twitchy finger can do.
“This book is a tribute to courage in motion. Lloyd doesn’t just live with Parkinson’s—he has transformed his diagnosis into a nationwide movement, quite literally. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength of community and the human spirit. Through every kilometer cycled across Canada and every page in this book, his story will move and motivate anyone touched by Parkinson’s and inspire all of us to keep pushing forward.” — Karen Lee, President and CEO, Parkinson Canada
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